Sevier County, Utah
Sevier County is a county located in the U.S. state of Utah. As of the 2010 census, the population was 20,802. Its county seat and largest city is Richfield. The county was formed on January 16, 1865, as a split off from Sanpete County to the north. It was named for the nearby Sevier River.Van Cott, J. W., 1990, Utah Place Names, ISBN 0-87480-345-4 History The first non-Native Americans to see the Sevier River were most likely the Catholic fathers Silvestre Vélez de Escalante and Francisco Atanasio Domínguez as they passed through on their expedition to California in 1776. The Old Spanish Trail (trade route) was the route they mapped, and over the course of the next hundred years the trail was used by fur trappers, hunters, government officials, and many more. This brought many people through Sevier County. Nearly 100 years later the first colonization began as Richfield, Utah was established within the present day county boundaries. The area was colonized by the Mormon settlers on 15 June 1864. Much of the area was populated by newly immigrated Mormon converts from Scandinavian countries, and because of the growth in this small community they officially created Sevier County in early 1865.Bishop, M. Guy. A History of Sevier County. Salt Lake City: Utah State Historical Society, 1997. Geography According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of , of which is land and (0.4%) is water. Adjacent counties * Sanpete County, Utah (north) * Emery County, Utah (east) * Piute County, Utah (south) * Wayne County, Utah (south) * Millard County, Utah (west) * Beaver County, Utah (west) National protected areas * Capitol Reef National Park (part) * Fishlake National Forest (part) * Manti-La Sal National Forest (part) Major highways Demographics 1790-1960 1900-1990 1990-2000 2010-2012 }} As of the census of 2000, there were 18,842 people, 6,081 households, and 4,907 families residing in the county. The population density was 10 people per square mile (4/km²). There were 7,016 housing units at an average density of 4 per square mile (1/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 95.61% White, 0.27% Black or African American, 2.00% Native American, 0.26% Asian, 0.09% Pacific Islander, 0.79% from other races, and 0.99% from two or more races. 2.55% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. There were 6,081 households out of which 43.00% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 70.10% were married couples living together, 7.80% had a female householder with no husband present, and 19.30% were non-families. Of the 6,081 households in Sevier County, 155 are unmarried partner households: 137 heterosexual, 11 same-sex male, and 7 same-sex female. 17.60% of all households were made up of individuals and 9.40% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.03 and the average family size was 3.44. In the county, the population was spread out with 34.50% under the age of 18, 10.10% from 18 to 24, 22.90% from 25 to 44, 19.70% from 45 to 64, and 12.90% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 30 years. For every 100 females there were 99.20 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 97.40 males. The median income for a household in the county was $35,822, and the median income for a family was $40,110. Males had a median income of $32,632 versus $19,228 for females. The per capita income for the county was $14,180. About 8.30% of families and 10.80% of the population were below the poverty line, including 12.80% of those under age 18 and 8.50% of those age 65 or over. Features Interstate 70 runs through the county. Richfield is about halfway between Los Angeles, California and Denver, Colorado; this has led to something of a boom in the hospitality industry (motels, restaurants, etc.). Fremont Indian State Park is found in the Clear Creek Canyon, adjacent to I-70. It is noted for its archaeological remains from the ancient Native-American Fremont culture. It has a museum displaying artifacts found at the site. According to Benjamin Edelman, who reported his findings in the article "Red Light States: Who Buys Online Adult Entertainment?," published in the most recent edition of the Journal of Economic Perspectives, Sevier County has the highest rate of online pornography usage in the United States. Communities See also * Fishlake National Forest * Fish Lake (Utah) * National Register of Historic Places listings in Sevier County, Utah References External links *Official website Sevier County Official Website Category:Sevier County, Utah Category:1865 establishments in Utah Territory Category:Counties of Utah